The Sweet Sound of Roses
by KGaki
Summary: The sound that invited him in was sweet... Or was it something else?


It was the sound that had invited him in the first place. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to find in a place like this anyways. A lovely melody echoed off of the old brick architecture that had been long forgotten as generations past and charred to a smoky gray from a fire that had consumed it three years prior. He thought that he was the only one who knew about the wild garden that still lived on in the back of the abandoned Uchiha estate. Normally, he would visit during the day when the plants were lively under the hot radiance of the summer sun. It was on a whim that he decided to visit there in the middle of the night.

The moon cast a much more elegant glow upon the structure that stained everything in its path deathly silver. The color was lovely against the hedges of white roses, and the moon seemed so tranquil in the night sky. Nightmares had kept him from enjoying a good night's slumber and made him feel uncomfortable just staying in his house alone. He heard it when he had arrived at the rusted iron gates. It was a violin that had been playing so softly into the night and the sound was so enticing that he was more drawn to it than he was wary of it. The music was getting louder as he rounded another corner and caught a glimpse of a shadowed figure moving a bow across the thin strings.

A shiver ran down his spine as he turned the last corner to confront whoever it was head on. To his surprise he found a young boy, maybe 17 years of age, standing at the center where the moon had shined most brilliantly. His black hair had been tinted blue in the silver light that made his skin appear to be a ghostly white. The nice suit he wore must have meant that he was someone of value to society, a noble; it was nothing compared to the kind of clothes he considered fancy for himself.

When the blond was finally noticed, the man had stopped playing altogether. His eyes were as black as the night sky itself, and they glared at him fiercely as if he were an old enemy. Naruto shrank back slightly before that murderous stare.

"What are you doing here?" Though the question was demanding and cold, his voice was surprisingly complacent.

"I always come here," he mumbled his reply as he looked to the ground. "This is my first time visiting this place during the night."

"Feel free to never do it again. It's distracting to have someone else here," he snapped bitterly as he set his violin in his case.

"I'm sorry," Naruto apologized as he bowed his head even lower. "I know I should have turned away... But you were so beautiful I…"

"Excuse me?" the boy questioned with a raised brow of query, and for a moment he thought he saw a smirk tugging at those perfect lips.

"The song!" He exclaimed quickly when he realized what he had said. "The song you were playing was so beautiful! I was entranced..."

He took the chance to look back at the raven whose eyes were still gazing at him studiously. Unnerved by the strange look he was receiving, he began to scratch the back of his head. There was something mysterious but also forlorn about that gaze, and when those eyes were staring at him so daringly it was hard to keep the blush from his cheeks. This was not the kind of person he imagined to be playing something so pleasant-sounding on the violin.

"You look rather troubled," the boy commented under his breath as he snapped the case shut with a dull click. "Why would you come to a place like this in the middle of the night?"

"Why would _you_?" He returned the question with a quizzical look as the boy stood upright. "I think the garden is much more joyful when the sun is shining down on it."

"The sun is obnoxious," he countered immediately as he looked up to the moon. In its shine he realized that the boy's eyes were not really black at all, just a deep shade of gray. "It's intrusive and blinds everybody with its light. I prefer to see things in the beam of the moon."

"It is much more peaceful in the moonlight, I noticed," Naruto agreed quietly as he was unable to remove his eyes from him. "But at the same time it's eerie, like a ghost."

A dry chuckle left the other boy's lips and Naruto could not help but cover his mouth of embarrassment. Before this boy who was bathed in the silver glow he felt as if he was talking to someone incredibly important. "What harm could a ghost do anyways?" He asked rhetorically as he grabbed his case from the ground. "A ghost is a fleeting reminder of the past, much like this building here."

It was odd to be spoken to so openly by anybody, and Naruto couldn't help but fumble over his words. "But even after the fire three years ago, this garden was able to survive and start again."

This seemed to make the boy hesitate before a faint smile was detected in his features. "What is your name?"

"Naruto," he answered confidently as he held his hand out to shake. Even though it was obvious that this boy was of much higher stature, he didn't believe that the fact should have made him anymore wary. But, the raven only stared at his hand with an unreadable expression before he let his hand drop to his side with a frown. "And you are?"

"Sasuke," he replied a bit less callously as he set the violin case on a nearby stone bench.

"Well, Sasuke," he began, trying to regain some sort of dignity in the conversation. "The song you were playing was quite lovely. I don't think I've ever seen such a nice model of violin either. Could I see it?"

"It's a special kind of violin," Sasuke explained with a brief glance down at the case. "Only I may touch it. I'm sorry."

"Not at all," he reassured with a weak smile as he let his eyes wander to the garden behind him.

The white roses seem to almost be in full bloom in the wild bushes that stretched along the garden wall. Under the glow of the moon there seemed to be something much more troubling about them. In the sun they would radiate a certain purity that created a warm haze for the world to behold. But now, basking in the silver light they seemed to radiate an air of mystery. The glow was ominous yet, at the same time, enchanting; it invited him closer.

"There are some who say that white roses mean death," Sasuke spoke, breaking the blond's entranced stare.

"Death?"

The raven beckoned him to follow as they approached the blooming wild hedge. "I saw one in a dream once. It was glowing a lovely silver color, but it was the sound that drew me in."

Naruto l gave a sideways look to the other boy before drawing his attention back to the beautiful flower. The sound drew him in? He couldn't help but be reminded of how the sound of his violin playing was what gave him the courage to enter this place at night. Somehow, he was grateful that he did. He felt a smile begin to curve his lips as he reached up to the gleaming plant and plucked a single rose. He took in the pure velvety scent with his eyes closed to fully capture the aroma in his mind. It was a soft smell that was not at all invasive to any of his senses, but left a lingering feeling in the back of his mind that made him feel a bit uneasy.

"But it's so beautiful; everything about it is," he argued lightly as he turned to face the dark haired stranger. "How could it represent something so..."

"Menacing?" The voice cut him short and he pursed his lips together. When he looked up at Sasuke there was a metallic light that was reflecting in his dark eyes. "You wouldn't think so if you had heard it."

"Play for me then," Naruto demanded defensively as he held the white flower to the pale beauty. "Let me hear why you think these flowers called to you. You are here now, so I believe that it may be a song of life."

He seemed to have caught the boy off guard for he could do little more but stare at the blond youth and the rose that was being held up to him. Perhaps he was being too brave for the situation to speak so boldly to a boy that was surely of some great importance to society. But, why was someone like him playing a violin in an old garden? Sasuke's hand did not reach out to take the flower; it only tightened into a fist at his side as Naruto let it go. They both watched the flower fall to the ground, it's outer petals had shed on the descent and lay scattered at his feet.

"Why are you here if you only come during the day?"

Naruto crossed his arms with an irritated glare as he grumbled, "I had a nightmare, and I couldn't get back to sleep. I thought, maybe since the garden always brings me peace of mind, I would pay a short visit, and I found you."

"Do you normally barge in on people when they're in the middle of playing?"

"Well, I..." He paused to look into Sasuke's eyes again, "You drew me in… I was going to turn back, but the sound... It was too sweet."

There was a silence that seemed to still everything around them. Sasuke's expression broke the mild indifference and he looked much more confused. "Sweet?"He nodded stiffly, feeling a blush creep across his cheeks before he heard the dry chuckle from the pale boy. "And it led you in..."He muttered as he picked up the violin case and turned to face the exit.

"Wait!" He instinctively tried to reach out to him, but Sasuke turned around too quickly for him to grasp on. "Are you going home already?"

There was something sad that visibly danced in the reflection of his eyes. It went deeper than he could have ever anticipated, like a gaping void that cast him into a world of dark melancholy. "I don't have a home to go back to."

He swallowed hard, feeling upset at the thought that this boy might disappear from him forever. "Why don't you stay here with me for a while then? The night is still young."

"Why are you so eager for my company? You don't even know me. You're a stranger to me."

"I am Naruto Uzumaki. I'm 20 years old and have a job at the new rebuilt factory down the road. I don't have any family, and not many people I consider friends. I have a dream to become famous, and have everyone, even the nobles, recognize me," he blurted out, leaving the raven dumbfounded. "There, now I'm not as much of a stranger am I?"

"What do you want from me?" He asked, his voice seeming more strained. "I don't... I don't have anything to give you."

Naruto pointed to the rose he had refused to take that lay wilting on the stone ground. "I want you to play that song again. You were playing their song of death right? The one I thought was sweet? "

The silence this time was very brief, and Sasuke looked beside himself with confusion, something he must not have felt too often. "Fine," he muttered coldly as he set the case down on the ground and opened it. "I'll show you just how uninviting this sound is."

The blond crossed his arms defiantly and took a seat on the closest bench. Sasuke took his place at the center again as he put the dark violin under his chin. As he raised the bow and let it hover over the thin strings of white and silver, Naruto could have sworn the boy had flashed him a satisfied smirk.

The elegant bow began to move against the silver threads with the familiar melody that had invited him in to begin with. Naruto felt a smile on his lips as he closed his eyes. How could something that flowed so soothingly be perceived as anything other than divine? He must have been incredibly skilled to be able to maneuver the bow across a variety of notes so quickly. The fast pace of the song cut into the silence of the night and even made his heart drum to the rapid beat.

There was sudden warmth that overtook his entire body that chased away the chill of the silver night. He opened his eyes quickly to see what it was, and he remained silent to take in what he saw. The sun was beaming down on him with its brilliant shine as it had on days before. The garden sparkled under its lukewarm rays. Sasuke was nowhere to be found, but the violin's music continued to echo through his ears. His eyes trailed along the hedges which seemed to be perfectly trimmed and color coordinated rose bushes that surrounded the immaculate courtyard.

_What's going on?_ He tried to speak the words out loud but he could hear nothing besides the sound of the violin's music dancing in his ears. A figure was seen darting across the courtyard and towards the standing manor that looked as if a fire had never touched its stone structure. _Sasuke? Wait!_

He ran after the dark figure as it weaved its way through the maze-like hedges until the garden ended just before the marble terrace that lay before the large glass doors that led into the manor. Sasuke looked back at him with a smile, much kinder than the one he had seen moments ago. The song continued to chime in, giving the boy a more radiant beauty than he could have ever seen in the moonlight. _What's going on? _

Sasuke's lips moved as if he was speaking to him, but only the gentle melody could be heard. Without further hindrance the raven turned and ran into the manor, the music taking an odd dive into a pitch that made him feel more anxious than when he had heard it the first time. He ran after the pale boy as he jogged up the red wooden staircase. For a moment he had lost sight of him until he heard the music resume its lovely chorus. He looked down another corridor, feeling as if the music was pulling him where he needed to go, just like before. A door sat open at the end of the hallway, letting the light of the sun illuminate the dimly lit hallway.

He peered into the room, seeing Sasuke facing away from a large open window, his violin in hand. _Sasuke?_ He pulled the bow across the strings, resuming the song he was hearing in his head, a complacent smile visible in his expression as he allowed his eyes to close. He approached the center of the room cautiously, unsure of how to react to what he was seeing. As he leaned his hand onto a nearby table he felt a quick sting of pain as he quickly withdrew his weight. Looking down at the small drops of blood that had been drawn he realized that a white rose was laying at the edge of the table, it's thorn now stained red from the blood on his hand. _Oh God..._ He looked back at the raven with a horrified expression. _Sasuke!_

He felt a deep vibration shake the floor beneath him slightly, making him jump with surprise, seeing that Sasuke continued to play the song. It had sounded much less harmonious as it continued to turn into a ghoulish hum. He ran to the window that overlooked the rest of the town. Black smoke was beginning to take over the sky, billowing up from the factory down the road. _Oh my GOD!_

Fire. It spread across the city, fueling itself on everything it could to push forward mercilessly. Towards them. His muscles clenched; he felt panic set in to his body as the red flames quickly spread and consumed the garden below them.

_Sasuke! We have to run!_ He gasped as he ran towards the hallway only to skid to a stop once he realized that it had been engulfed by the flames as well. He turned to see that Sasuke's eyes remained closed, and the song continued to play. This was anything but sweet. It was ominous, and it drew him in; it trapped him.

"Sasuke!" He screamed, hearing his voice echo in his own ears against the devilish sound, and the boy finally opened his eyes.

The entire room had been swallowed in a deadly haze of red and orange. Sasuke dropped his violin with a deep cough before he stumbled forward into the cackling flames. _NO!_

Naruto tried to run for him but tripped into the small table, toppling over heavily. His body remained stiff, unable to move as he heard a sickening scream pierce through the once soft melody. He closed his eyes tightly as the blood curdling scream continued to etch into his mind, and he knew that sound would forever haunt his dreams.

"STOP!"

"Did you not like it?"

He opened his eyes, feeling a sharp pain in his palm, and he realized his fist was clenched around the white rose. He felt the heat around him instantly dissipate and the icy chill of the night began to creep across his skin. An appalled shudder ran through his body as he looked back up at Sasuke who had put his violin and bow to his sides.

"You..." he croaked softly. "You're dead..."

"I am."

"The fire that burnt down the Uchiha estate... You're the youngest son that died while your family was out..." He continued, feeling warm tears sting at his eyes.

"I didn't notice until it was too late," he added with a tired sigh as he set his violin in its case once more. "I was trying to recapture the song I had heard in my dreams. The sound, at the time, moved me somehow."

"I'm so sorry..." he continued to choke as he felt his fists tighten around the thorny flower. "I didn't mean..."

"Don't," he interrupted, making the blond gaze up at him with his vision blurred by tears. "You're the only one who's heard that song besides me..."

Naruto stood up, approaching the pale boy before him with the rose in hand. "I wish I could have known you."

A wry smile spread across his lips as he shook his head. "Sadly, Naruto, I think this is the only way you could have known me." It must have been lonely, to exist in a garden that grew the very flower that foresaw his demise.

"Will you be here tomorrow night too?" He persisted, feeling his hand go numb from the constant stinging. Sasuke nodded, his eyes trailing down to the blood that dripped from the other's palm. He held out his arm, shivering uncontrollably as Sasuke, reluctantly held out his hand. "Play your music, so I'll know that you're here."

"Does that mean you'll come back?" He asked as he opened his hand beneath the white flower.

Naruto nodded with a hard swallow as he released the rose, watching it fall straight through the boy's hand and onto the stone ground. He looked back up to see that Sasuke had disappeared altogether. He was left to the emptiness of the wild garden, and the silver glow of the moon didn't seem so tranquil anymore.

* * *

A/N: I wrote this a while ago for a friend of mine. The song I was referring to was an adaptation of Vanessa Mae's "Destiny". My friend played his version of it for me, but sadly, there's no way for you to listen to it other than referring to the original DX sadface

This fic was actually before TNWIC making this the first fic I wrote with Sasuke playing the violin. :3

I hope you enjoyed it~


End file.
